The bell chimed my entrance, the shop buzzing with people. Wendy smiled at me from the wall of tin buckets filled to bursting with market bouquets in chromatic order. Jett jerked his chin in greeting from behind the counter, flashing that brilliant Bennet smile at me.

When I approached, I opened my mouth to explain what I was doing there, but he headed me off.

“He’s back there,” he said with a flick of his head to the greenhouse.

“Thank you,” I answered, my cheeks embarrassingly warm and smiling.

“Try not to get too dirty.”

I rolled my eyes and laughed to cover my discomfort, making my way behind the counter and into the workroom. Music played, some happy indie song I’d never heard before, and Tess and Luke were busy in the mini studio they’d set up for Instagram, staging Luke holding a gorgeous bouquet of exotic-looking flowers. Tess fiddled and fussed over the bouquet, and Luke watched her with the deepest, sweetest affection.

Oh, to be adored like that.

It seemed an impossibility, something only a sliver of a percentage of the population found, unattainable by me. I’d always thought that a loving relationship was forged through years of becoming accustomed to someone, of learning them and accepting them. I’d never been much for fairy tales, preferring reality and low expectations. But lately, I’d looked around and found a magic in love I hadn’t seen before.

It’d been there all along, and I’d somehow missed it.

Luke looked up and smiled the smile of a man who knew too much, and it left me wondering just what Kash had told him about us.

“Look at what the cat dragged in,” he said.

“That cat better not be around,” I sassed, smiling. “He hates me.”

Tess chuckled, turning to face me. “Don’t take it personal. Brutus hates most everybody.”

“But does he make it a point to trip everyone he hates?”

“No,” Tess noted. “Only you.”

Luke’s smile tilted a little higher on one side. “He’s got a whole setup back there for you. Hope you’re ready to get schooled—he’s got his chalkboard set and his pencils sharpened.”

“I’m pretty sure I’m hopeless, but if anyone can teach me, it’s him.”

Luke shrugged. “I dunno. He’s been trying to teach me for years, but it’s just in one ear and out the other.”

“That’s because you only pay attention to what you want to learn,” Tess added. “You’ve learned photography tricks pretty quick from me.”

“That’s just because you were teaching me and not my hairy brother.”

She rolled her eyes and laughed, reaching up on her tiptoes to kiss him.

“Well, I’ll leave you to it,” I teased, heading toward the greenhouse.

“Good luck!” Tess called after me, and I waved, accepting that luck.

I’d need it.